Jun 1, 2024; Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA; Rio Takeda (JPN) hits a tee shot on the primary gap through the third spherical of the U.S. Girls’s Open golf match. Obligatory Credit score: John Jones-Imagn Photos LPGA Tour rookie Rio Takeda carded a 69 to take a two-stroke lead after three rounds on Saturday on the Blue Bay LPGA on Hainan Island, China.
Takeda, 21, sits at 9-under 207 for the match and is the one participant within the subject to put up three rounds within the 60s on the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course. The final time she had a lead after 54 holes got here in 2024 on the Toto Japan Basic, which she gained earlier than turning into a tour member.
Tied for second at 209 are People Gigi Stoll (68 on Saturday) and Auston Kim (70) together with Cassie Porter of Australia (72).
Kim had a share of the first-round lead, and Porter was atop the leaderboard together with Nasa Hataoka of Japan coming into play Saturday. Hataoka recorded a 76 to fall right into a tie for sixteenth at 3-under par.
In a tie for fifth at 6-under 210 are Japan’s Ayaka Furue and Mao Saigo, each with rounds of 70, in addition to Minjee Lee of Australia (68) and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul (68).
For chief Takeda, the second does not appear to be too massive, regardless of her younger age and lack of in depth LPGA Tour expertise.
“I’ve had three nice days with numerous confidence, and I wish to carry that confidence tomorrow and end up on a robust notice,” she mentioned.
“I do not wish to pay an excessive amount of consideration to the rating, however simply take it gap by gap and do my finest.”
Stoll, 28, is in her second season on the LPGA Tour and in search of her first victory. She is prepared for a Sunday battle, particularly after weathering ups and downs on Saturday.
She birdied the primary three and the final three holes. In between, she recorded two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey.
“The putter has been scorching. Undoubtedly received off to a extremely good begin birdieing the primary three,” she mentioned. “Some stuff occurred within the center, nevertheless it was good to shut with three as nicely.”
And like Takeda, she heads into the ultimate spherical with some confidence.
“Golf is humorous,” she mentioned. “It is a lengthy day. You would at all times come again and you might be by no means actually out of it. Something can occur. I simply inform myself quite a bit to remain actually current and keep in there. I am actually happy with myself for doing that.”
Porter began the spherical at 7 below and ended there, recording a spherical much like that of Stoll. The tour rookie, making simply her second official LPGA Tour begin, blended 5 birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey to complete with 72.
“Yeah, that was numerous combat on the market. Little bit of a large number in the course of the spherical there, however we got here again, in order that’s all that issues,” Porter, 22, mentioned.
–Discipline Stage Media
